Serial rapist Thokozani Prince Mazibuko from Nkomazi, who targeted female-headed households with three of his four victims minors when they were raped, received a hefty sentence in the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court at the beginning of September.

The 34-year-old was found guilty of four counts of rape, three counts of housebreaking, two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and one count of theft, which led to his conviction on August 30.

According to the Mpumalanga spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, Monica Nyuwa, Mazibuko committed the crimes in certain areas of the Nkomazi Local Municipality between January 2013 and January 2017.

“Mazibuko and his unknown accomplices would target female-headed households, break in and rape them. Mazibuko’s victims did not know the perpetrators. Three of them were minors when the incident happened, and one was repeatedly raped,” Nyuswa says.

She says he pleaded not guilty and claimed the sexual intercourse with the victims was consensual, and that he had paid all the victims amounts ranging from R100 to R200.

Mazibuko was arrested in Langeloop in January this year.

In addition to three life sentences for three rapes, he received 63 years’ imprisonment for the housebreakings, robberies, and theft.